Automatic stabilizer fob aeroplanes



A. L. STROUT.

AUTOMATIC STABILIZER FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. 1918.

1,314,91 3. Patented Sept. 2,1919.

IN V EN TOR.

Archig L. Siroui ARCHIE L. STROU'T, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC STABILIZED FOR AEROPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed March 7, 1918; Serial No. 220,918.

To. all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, ARCHIE L. STROUT, a citizen of theUnited itates, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin,

5 State of California, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Automatic Stabilizers for Aeroplanes; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, V which form a part of this application. This invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes and particularly to the safety appliances thereof. The ob ect of the invention is to produce an automatic stabilizer for aeroplanes including a means for positively moving thesbalancing planes or allerons in direct relation to the inclination of the lifting planes relative to the horizon or, in turningthe machine, in dlrect relation to the position of the stabilizing pendulum resultmg from the combined force of gravity and centrifugal force which acts against the pendulum when the machine is steered into a curve. By this means, when the lifting planes tilt or incline from horizontal position in one direction, the -balancing planes will immediately and automaticallybe set in opposed counter-balancing relation thereto and thus force the lifting planes into return motion toward proper horizontal osition. As this latter movement is ta 'ng place, the mechanism automatically causes 35' thebalancing planes to positivelyrfollow-up this return movement in such a manner that the counter-balancing effect is gradually lessened as the lifting planes approach the point of equilibrium and when such point is reached, the said balancing planes also reach normal horizontal osition. Thus the liabilit of the lifting anes to careen toward the opposite side, u'e to the failure of the balancing element to reach normal position at the same time the lifting planes do, is entirely eliminated, and an easy, positive and automatic control of the aeroplane is On curves, when the endulum is swung out of perpendicular to t e lifting lanes as the machine is turning, this will automatically set the ailerons to act to set the lifting lanes back into perpendicular with the pengulum and thus give the banking efi'ect necessary to quick and effective turn A further object of the inventlon is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one whlch will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These ob ects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the fparts as will fully appear by a perusal of t e following speclficatioli and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Views.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the pendlllum and automatic stabilizer link mechamsm connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detached view, partly broken out and in section, of the fluid pressure controlled mechanism connected with the pendulum.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the

dulum, which is supported in said bearing,

may be fixed to, insure proper operation thereof.

Turnable within this sleeve 3 is the shaft 5 of the pendulum 6, which pendulum is fixed to said shaft at one outer oint. By reason of the shaft being turna le within the sleev this will give to the pendulum a free h 'zontal swinging movement. It is also 'v n a free vertical swinging movement y cans of being hinged vertlcally to the shaft 5, as at 7.

At the opposite end of the shaft 5 is fixed a slotted guide 8. The slot 8 of this guide 8 receives a small wrist pin 9 on a crank 10 fixed to the stem 11 of a shutter valve 12 turnable within a valve casing 13. This valve casing 13 has an inlet 14 and an out let 14 diametrically opposite each other, the open and closed position of which is controlled by the valve 12. It also has two other communicating ports 15 and 16 whlch are likewise diametrically opposlte each other 14, respectively. The port 15 communicates A detailed description or illustration of the same.

Fixed to the piston rod 19 is a bracket 20 pivotally connectedto which, as at 21, is a connecting rod 22 pivotally connected atits oppositeend to the link 2, as at 23.

Fluid pressure, such as oil, air, water, or any other desired form of such pressure, is maintained constantly in the inlet pipe 14 and returns through the outlet pipe 14 by means of any desired structure, as for instance a suitably operated pump A and constant pressure regulating tanks B. These may be of almostany form, however, so I will not-enter into a detailed description of their structure and operation.

The operation of the device, describing first the method of moving the ailerons in direction relation to the horizontal position of the lifting planes is as follows:

As the lifting planes incline out 0f h0Il z'ontal position, the frame 1 which carries the cylinder 17 and valve casing 13' and its connected parts inclines with such planes, while the pivotally suspended pendulum is held perpendicular to the horlzon by force of gravity. This causes the casing 13 to move relative to the valve 12. Assuming that the lifting planes tip toward the right-hand side of the mechanism, as shown in the drawings, this will open communication from the inlet pipe 14: through the valve casing 13 and port 16 into the cylinder 17 at the right-hand side thereof. Thus, the fluid pressure will act against the piston 18 to cause it to force the p1ston 19 toward the left-hand side. This will cause the piston'rod19 to act on the control levers of the balancing ailerons to cause them tobe set immediately in a position to counter-balance the lifting planes and {0126 t bracket 20 and the connecting rod 22, as the ailerons are being set in counter-balancing position, the suspended link 2 is being forced to the left, which action continues until'the pendulum 6 has been forced to the left a distance suflicient to close the valve 12. This,

of course, shuts off the ressure. Also, this action sets the point 0 suspension of the pendulum at a new point which is in direct relation to thevnew center of air pressureagainst the liftin planes. Hence, as the lifting planes are orcedbackwardly toward the horizontal position by the counter-balancing planes, the mechanism instantly acts under the force thereof to incline in the opposite direction with respectto the suspended pendulum. Hence, the action of the valve 12 is reversed and communication is opened from the inlet 14 through the casing13, through port 15 into the left-hand end of the cylinder 17 and against the opposite side of the piston 18. Thus, as the llfting planes are returned to normal position, the ailerons will be moved in direct relation thereto back to normal position. Thus, as soon as the lifting planes are in proper position, the counter-balancing effect will cease, as is very necessary to efiiciently and positively maintain the equilibrium of the aeroplane.

Describing now the efi'e'ct and operation of the mechanism when driving the aeroe plane in a horizontal curve, the combination y of the force of gravity and the centrifugal force occasioned by the movement of the aeroplane in such horizontal curve first throws the pendulum out of perpendicular to the lifting planes, which action, through the medium of the mechanism described, sets the ailerons to cause the lifting planes to immediately tilt the aeroplanes in the proper position to bank-the same against the air pressure as is proper in making short andac- 9.5 curate curves, and to prevent the skidding. of the aeroplane in the air in a long sweep instead of making a direct positive curve.

Then, after the curve is made, the mechaset forth.

As the fluid pressure acts positively against one side of the piston 18, that on the opposite side exhausts through the opposite port mechanism and'through theoutlet pipe 14: back to the pump and pressure tanks.

While I have shown herein a fluid pres sure for 'positivel directing the action of the ailerons and t e positioning link .ofthe pendulum, still in practice this may be carried outbyother mechanical or electrical means, hence, I do not wish to be understood as limitingv myself to this form of ower, since the main essential element of t e invention is the positioning link and the positive motive force for driving the ailerons and such link.

.The pivotal connection ofthe pendulum of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Anautomatic stabilizer for aeroplanes comprisin a support mounted on the aeroplane, a s otted link pivoted to the support, a'shaft adjustabl mounted in the slot of such link, a pen ulum hinged to the shaft whereby such pendulum may have a free lateral and longitudinal swinging movement, and a positive motive force controllable by the position of the pendulum for operating the balancing planes of the aeroplane.

2. An automatic stabilizer for aeroplanes on one end of the sha comprising a support mounted on the aeroplane, a link pivoted on the support, a shaft journaled in the link a pendulum, hinged it, a cylinder, a piston movable within the cylinder, a push rod on the piston projecting outside the cylinder, a valve controlled port communicating with each end of the cylinder, an arm on the shaft connecting w1th the valve, and a link mechanism connected between the push rod and the first named link, the push rod being connected with the balancing planes of the aeroplanes.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

ARCHIE L. STROUT. Witnesses:

VERADINE WARNER, Bmmmn PRIVAT. 

